Burned Citizen Journalism

It's been over a year since that blogging class and the first post. And I've had a bumpy ride as a commentator (mostly on the N&R and ProCare blogs) . . . trying to find a footing and a voice. It's an interesting medium . . . you've got to have a thick skin . . . and padding (especially if you do this crazy thing under your own name). A three-thread blog-duel with local blogger "High Priest", Ed Cone, got the blood sufficiently boiling last week. And over the last few days I've really been pondering the notions of "truth and fairness" in journalism - especially since the latest Greensboro News & Record faux-pas hit the fan.

So I thought I'd try a post. Look out for the "verbiage".

The very sad fact for our Piedmont-Triad community is that when the News & Record latches on to an idea, it bites down hard and does not let go. When this newspaper and its Editor ("The Blogger King", John Robinson) makes a decision about something or someone, minds at this newspaper do not change. And when the N&R makes a mistake, “We’re sorry” is not going to be on page one – if it’s said at all.

Over and over again, instead of reporting all of the available/verifiable facts to the public, and letting the facts lead the story to the truth, the N&R decides what facts are relevant and tells the public only what the paper thinks it should know, the truth be damned (note: other bloggers have said this on The Editor's Blog, but as the words fly out of my fingers, I cannot remember who). The facts of several cases speak for themselves:

(A) In the sad story of what happened to Jack Perdue when he taught a history class at Randolph Community College (a class which received partial sponsorship from the Sons of Confederate Veterans), it is crystal clear that the N&R’s story was largely fabricated over the barest of rickety skeletons . . . the race card was WAY over-played . . . and the “facts” were warped and exaggerated beyond all reasonable measure to help an inexperienced and overzealous reporter make a name for himself, sell newspapers and garner attention in larger markets (“The AP likes us, it really LIKES us!”). Despite overwhelming evidence of journalistic impropriety (as meticulously described by Jerry Bledsoe in “Death By Journalism”), the N&R stands by the story to this day. Of course, the paper has no other choice than to “stand by” the story, unless it wants to write a huge check to Jack Perdue’s family, as any other action would lend credence to a very strong “libel” claim. Back in 1998, people still generally believed what they read in the newspapers, and the Courier Tribune (where errant roosters rule current headlines) was no match for the N&R in terms of investigating the case or effectively countering the vitriol that was being spewed in Asheboro’s direction. It took quite a while for even the locals (even this one) to sort out fact from fiction. Jack Perdue never had a chance against the media machine. The truth did not matter. Result: A community was maligned, the reputation of a community college was pummeled, and a history teacher – a good man – was destroyed. Stress kills.

(B) In the matter of Dr. Mary Johnson v. Randolph Hospital, the facts have been ignored in deference to the continued well-being of people who control (or have “cooperative relationships” with others who control) large advertising budgets. Despite the new “momentum” for “ethics” and public/fiscal accountability in government and government-sponsored programs/institutions (i.e. “non-profits”), the N&R will not even have an “off-the-record” conversation to look at the evidence (in the form of public records and sworn court documents) . . . evidence that screams perjury, contempt and fraud. This story cannot be viewed through the prism of race, so the N&R doesn’t think the crimes committed are “relevant”. As for being “local”, the N&R says it covers Randolph County, but it hasn’t really been back to Asheboro since Jerry Bledsoe handed them their hat over the SCV debacle. We’re relegated to the High Point section now. And neither the patient nor the doctor caught up in this mess is JR’s daughter. So the N&R does not care that "non-profit" hospital officials, entrusted with the public good, betrayed the mission of a federal program, stabbed a physician & public servant in the back, called her a liar for telling the truth, and then lied under Oath to cover their tails & save some money when they tucked them. The N&R does not care that a local DA, abusing his discretion, can kill (before it starts) an independent SBI investigation of the “non-profit” hospital’s unfair business & legal tactics against a medical whistleblower & potential private-sector competitor. Once again, the whole truth does not matter. The REAL story doesn’t get told at all. Result: A good Pediatrician, with strong ties to Greensboro - recruited back to her hometown with federal money . . . a doctor forced one night to make a choice no physician should have to make . . . has been driven of her home out by community “leaders” who abused their power, repeatedly lied, and stuffed their own pockets on the public dime.

(C) In the case of The City of Greensboro v. David Wray, the N&R has obtained a consultant’s report that was paid for by the public – the content of which was used to bring down a police chief (who just might be a scapegoat to deflect from other smelly things – like Homestead). Once again, race is the primary prism through which the newspaper views and reports the story. As noted on The Troublemaker’s blog, the RMA report appears to have been incomplete in its investigative scope. Moreover, the N&R obtained the report by less than honorable means – i.e. it was improperly leaked by someone in city government/law enforcement (in violation of the law and David Wray’s rights) during a pending criminal investigation. So, instead of working to get the report cleanly and letting the accountability chips fall where they may, the N&R (in its zeal to get a story out fast) made a deal with a player in the story (apparently with a link to other prominent players in stories bouncing off this one). Lop-sided articles have ensued . . . spaced every few days to milk interest. Meanwhile, on these blogs, JR “The Blogger King” taunts Chief Wray and his lawyers for not offering commentary on a report they haven’t been allowed to see . . . and (not-so-subtly) fishes for what other bloggers might know. When he’s challenged about standards of fairness, JR makes sorry excuses about protecting “the source”, or not releasing “potentially libelous” material in the report. But here's the problem. How do WE THE PEOPLE know what is "libelous" or not - without seeing the report? David Wray could be a racist version of my ex-bad-boss (Randolph Hospital CEO) Bob Morrison (my opinion - about Bob, not Wray), or he could be a nearly-dead messenger . . . ala Dr. Mary Johnson. But we'll not be able to figure it out from what the N&R publishes. For in this case, the truth does not matter because the N&R has decided (1) what the truth is, and (2) that the public can’t handle all of it. Result: a once highly-respected man and long-time public servant is being raked through the coals in the court of public opinion before a charge or a lawsuit is even filed “on the record”.

With regard to (A) and (B), here’s what I remember about the N&R’s Ethan Feinsilver. The Jack Perdue/SCV debacle at Randolph Community College began in 1998 – several months after Randolph Hospital worked its magic on me. The local Courier Tribune had completely blown off my story. We (my family, friends and close colleagues who had not left yet) were hoping that the News & Record (which had boldly come down to Asheboro and promised new and wonderful things in “local” journalism) would take a serious look at the way Randolph Hospital did “business”. Some of those stories did eventually wind up in the news (as I noted in my blog-duel with Ed Cone last week). Now, Mr. Feinsilver had been assigned to Randolph County, and was clearly out to make a name for himself. He was WAY HUNGRY (not a bad thing for a young journalist provided editors offer proper oversight). At the time, I wanted to scream my story to the rafters, yet at the same time was being told to avoid the press. The lawyers were hovering, and I had not yet decided what to do - legally or otherwise. I did try to get his attention with some "off-the-record" snippets, and I know he did some minor snooping around. But it was not an “easy” story for a reporter to get . . . as hospital officials were hiding behind the confidentiality of personnel and medical peer review records (shades of the GSO City Council and David Wray). The point was mute anyway. Once Mr. Feinsilver latched on to the SCV story, I was history. And the rest is history. It is a history that did not treat Jack Perdue kindly. In retrospect, I was probably very lucky Ethan Feinsilver looked in someone else’s direction – although one wonders what might have happened if the N&R had gone after a real story rather than making one up.

The public, by en-large (and despite recent examples of very good reasons not to) still believes what it reads in the newspaper. Jack Perdue was mauled by a rabid, irresponsible media out of control. Local papers wouldn’t even publish the “Letters to the Editor” he wrote to defend himself (I wouldn’t know anything about that – I’ve even offered to pay for space in order to get my story out – to no avail). Blogs were a gleam in somebody’s eye back in 1998, but I just bet you that if it was all happening now (and with every conventional journalistic door slammed shut in his face), Mr. Perdue (or at least Jerry Bledsoe) would have been all over these blogs . . . chasing JR & company in the same manner I have.

Now Jeffrey Sykes is in the blogosphere (he’s the former Editor of a smaller local competitor in Reidsville . . . crucified by the N&R for showing well-intended, albeit misguided compassion to two of his reporters when they got way too creative). This week, Jeffrey had the golden opportunity to chide JR on how the N&R handled its own plagiarism scandal – which OBTW involves the very reporter who skewered Jeffrey (that irony is akin to the doctor falsely accused of lying who caught her accusers red-handed lying). I predict one day David Wray might be here too. The vineyard of people this newspaper has stomped reporting (or not reporting) the so-called “news” is getting bigger. I like to think of it as “burned citizen journalism” .

I’m probably going to get skewered for the “verbiage” of this post (Hello Ed Cone), not to mention it's "not a team player" content . . . for I may yet post this entire thing on John Robinson's blog if motivated to do so (by another "What say you?" post on the David Wray mess). But on the other hand, my “Letters to the Editor” don’t get published, and (unlike some other folks with prominent last names) I certainly don’t get column space to spout my opinions at either of the “local” newspapers. Likewise, there is not a snowball’s chance in Hades of this blog-post getting ever picked up by the AP. But here’s what Mary Johnson, burned citizen, thinks: A newspaper’s primary obligations are (1) police our world by telling the public the whole truth when it’s available to tell, and (2) play fair in the telling. From my very “local” vantage point, these things just aren’t happening at the Greensboro News & Record.